RESEARCH: NATION BENEFITS WHEN “PART C” PROVIDES FOR INFANTS AND TODDLERS “AT-RISK” FOR SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS Historically, attention not given until after problems develop

Study highlights lessons learned from four communities around
the nation that focus on risks: Boston; L.A. County; Doña Ana,
NM; and SE Kansas – with implications for all 50 states

New York City, June 18, 2010 – Infants and
toddlers who are at risk for future social and emotional problems
because of a host of variables – such as living in poverty,
or being part of a single-parent family – have a markedly
better shot at overcoming obstacles and succeeding in school and
later, as adults, if they get supports and interventions early,
according to a poverty think tank at Columbia University.

The National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP), part of
Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health, studied how four
localities (Boston, Los Angeles County; Doña Ana, N.M.; and
the southeast Kansas region) administer “Part C” of the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA).
The promising practices and policies they found can be models for
the country.

“Young children at-risk for social and emotional problems
have not been universally covered,” says Sheila Smith, PhD,
one of the co-authors of the NCCP report, along with Taniesha A.
Woods, PhD, and Janice L. Cooper, PhD. “A large body of
research shows the pitfalls associated with multiple risk and their
often cumulative and deleterious impact. By taking a risk-based
perspective to eligibility for services and supports, communities
can intervene early, ameliorate and even avert suffering and put
children on a more positive trajectory. If we can prevent problems
for very young children with strong indicators for developmental
delays, American society will benefit, not only because the country
benefits from a healthy population of course, but also because it
makes fiscal sense to stop a problem in it’s tracks than to
let it unfold.”

Background on Part C – why is it important?Early Intervention programs that are provided through Part C
of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act
provide unique supports for children birth to 3 years old (and
their families) who have a developmental delay (such as cognitive,
physical, communication, social, and emotional).

One of the areas of particular concern is social and emotional
delays, where, for example, children do not form healthy
attachments with caregivers or they are not able to manage their
emotions. Social-emotional competencies are critical for success in
school and life, say the researchers.

The last authorization of the Child Abuse Prevention and
Treatment Act expanded Part C so that children who are involved in
substantiated cases of child abuse or neglect are referred to Part
C for screening or evaluation. These are vulnerable children, and
thus, they would greatly benefit from early intervention
services.

NCCP interviewed 66 state and local stakeholders in communities
that were diverse in geographic region, racial and ethnic
background as well as in linguistic background, explains Dr. Woods.
“We learned about the extent to which communities developed a
collaborative approach to providing effective Part C early
intervention services to young children and their families,”
she says. “We also asked about communities’ approaches
to improving their policy frameworks so that they better supported
children and families served by Part C programming.”

RecommendationsThe use of valid and reliable screening tools that are
appropriate for diverse populations is an important part of
communities’ capacity to identify infants and toddlers with
social-emotional delays, continues Woods. “Providing early
intervention services for infants and toddlers who are at-risk of
developing serious delays can reduce the likelihood of long-term
costly conditions and later interventions.”

The researchers also recommend providing early intervention
professionals with the training necessary for them to be effective
early interventionists.

The National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) is the
nation’s leading public policy center dedicated to promoting
the economic security, health and wellbeing of America’s
low-income families and children. Part of Columbia
University’s Mailman School of Public Health, NCCP uses
research to inform policy and practice with the goal of ensuring
positive outcomes for the next generation.